PROJECTS ONLINE: INSTALLING OR REPLACING A GARAGE DOOR OPENER
Project Difficulty:
Moderate Estimated
Project Time: 1/2 day
Tools and Materials:
Garage door opener kit
Stepladder
Measuring tape
Marking pencil
Steel brackets (these won’t be in the kit, but you may be able to reuse existing brackets)
Level
Wrenches and socket set
Utility knife
Hammer
Electric drill or drill/driver
Screwdriver
Rope
Opener door switch, as needed
The garage door is the real front door in today’s homes. It’s the door that gets used from first thing in the morning until lights out at night, all due to the ease offered by the press-a-button electric opener, which transforms what would otherwise be a muscle-tasking chore into a simple routine. With such constant use under the very heavy load of a typical garage door, it’s no wonder that replacing the opener is a common homeowner project.
1.
Get Acquainted
The most important step in putting up a new garage door opener is first completely reading the instructions. Check that all parts are there and that you have all of the recommended tools. Be sure that the door track and rollers are in good shape because it’s pointless to install a new opener on a crooked, bent track or if rollers are missing. The garage door should open easily manually, without power. You may be able to reuse the existing mounting brackets on the door and for the opener itself, especially if you purchase the same model and brand as the old one. This can be a major time- and hassle-saver.
2.
Get the Ladder Up
Assemble the unit’s rails to the motor. With a helper, position the motor unit/rail assembly in the appropriate spot, raised on a stepladder. It should be centered on the door with the door closed. Tie it with rope in two or three places so that it can’t come crashing down. The rail should be touching the garage door header, the thick piece of wood directly above the door. Use a level to get the rail level and then mark on the garage door header where the header bracket will go. (Fig. 1)
3.
Mount ?Em Up
Drill mounting holes for the header bracket and bolt in place. At the other end, check again for level and mount the motor unit from steel brackets, using either the old ones if they’re in good shape, or new steel brackets (get ones with lots of holes so that you can adjust length easily when you bolt things together). Mount the motor brackets to the ceiling joists or truss cords and then attach the motor to the brackets, but don't tighten things up just yet. Remove the rope, but don’t plug the unit in yet.
4.
Nearly Done
With the unit in place, attach the chain (or whatever drive method your product uses) and tension according to the instructions. Attach the door arm unit (a J-shaped piece of steel that bolts together in different lengths for adjustment) to the "traveler" (the component that moves back and forth on the door opener track). The door bracket goes in the top center of the garage door, so drill the necessary holes and bolt in place. Then bolt on the door arm unit. Mount the safety reversing sensors on their brackets to both sides of the garage door frame. Run the wires from the safety sensors to the motor unit; if you need a new door start button, run the wires for that as well. Staple all wires so that they’re safely out of the way of moving parts. (Fig. 2)
5.
Safety and Security Features
Finally, plug in the unit and check the operation of sensors, door operation, door start button, and safety-reversing features. Please don’t ignore or circumvent the safety features, because garage doors regularly cause many deaths to children and pets. For some units you will also have to adjust the remote transmitter to work with a specific frequency--a matter of flipping a few small plastic switches so that they match both opener and transmitter.
